US Looking at Agricultural, Trade Facilitation Issues at IPEF Conference in Brisbane
The U.S. is looking to make progress on trade facilitation, agriculture, and regulatory practices at the upcoming Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) meeting in Brisbane on Dec. 10, senior administration officials said during a Dec. 7 call with reporters. Brisbane will be the first of several negotiation rounds conducted in-person.
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Part of the trade facilitation focus is the creation of "high standard digital economy provisions" that will enable small business owners to reach foreign customers "like never before," one senior official said. Reduction in agricultural trade barriers will be another "big focus during" negotiations, one official said, echoing comments by Alexis Taylor, President Joe Biden’s nominee for USDA undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs, during a nomination hearing in September (see 2209230028). Agricultural goods access is a "huge issue for some of these markets," another official said. Labor and environmental issues also are "front of mind" for the U.S., but are not featured as their own discussion pillars, one official said.
One official said it is unlikely any agreements will come out of the Brisbane meeting. The first round's focus is to "come out strong and see how to move forward," but the administration is not ruling out "early harvest" agreements, the official said. Just sitting down with 40% of the world's economy is significant, the official said. There is hope that the forum and future agreements will "be a model for other regions in the future," another official said.
In response to a question about congressional approval, one official said that, while there has been continued dialogue with Congress from the start of IPEF, the administration "believes it has statutory authority to address these issues without trigger[ing] the need for legislation."